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Thursday, March 30, 2006

Refreshing change to biscotti...

I mentioned on Sunday that we were going to be using a new herb in a sweet recipe. I have been drying some lavender blossoms from our plants and have been waiting for an excuse to use them. Orange zest also works its magic in both the sweet and savory dishes tonight.

Today's sweet recipe, Lavender Honey Biscotti, has a blend of flavors that was fresh and new to us in biscotti. The dough was quite sticky, but using wet hands while stretching and flattening the dough made the job much easier. Eggs and honey brought such a rich and golden brown color to the crunchy slices. The dried lavender blossoms rendered such a brilliant aroma to these cookies that eventually filled the entire house as they cooled down. While the smell was strong, the flavor in them was a subtle floral accented with a zing from the fresh citrus zest. I'm not sure I could describe the flavor enough, but we thoroughly enjoyed these with a cup of tea tonight.

Tonight's dinner was a light and clean dish that was perfect for the end of a springtime day. Orange-Scented Couscous Salad with Almonds, Cilantro, and Cucumber is coated in a invigorating dressing made from fresh orange juice, fresh lime juice, mustard and a bit of extra-virgin olive oil. A mixture of fresh orange juice, ground coriander and cinnamon is used as the flavorful cooking liquid that infuses and peps up the whole wheat couscous rather than just using water alone. Dried cranberries, cucumber and diced cooked chicken bulk up the couscous to make it a main dish, and a sprinkling of toasted almonds brought a satisfying finish to the dish.